Disclaimer: I know they still belong to King George. All Hail King George....
Setting: roughly 17 years after the story "Han's Misery"
Author's Note: This story is merely a compilation of my previous series, Guess Who
Followed Me Home. (really?) It is exactly the same (with only a few minor changes to
preserve the continuity) only in one installment instead of the eight that made up the
series. If you've read the series, you're not missing anything by not reading this. Also, to
all the wonderful people who helped me out with information on Gaeriel Captison, I'm
eternally grateful, BUT (huge dramatic silence) I hate to say this, I am postponing my
Gaeriel story until I can come up with a plot. Plots are always useful, don't you think?
Many thanks to everybody who helped me out on that front. Thanks to my readers, and
now for those who wish I'd just shutup and get on with the story, here you are, the story.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
They sat in silence around the table in the Grand Hapan Dining Room. Luke's visits were
few and far between. He didn't like Hapes, and he didn't like Isoldor. The only reason he
came anymore was for Desme.
Desme was Leia's 15 year old daughter. She had Leia's hair and eyes. She also had a
sense of humour a mile wide.
Nobody had said anything since dinner began. Luke made it a point NEVER to speak to
Isoldor. He rarely spoke to Leia anymore, but she had her moments.
After dinner he made his way to his x-wing. As he was preparing to take off he heard a
voice calling his name. Desme was coming towards him.
"Hey, Desme. What's up?" he asked.
"Take me with you. Please?" she asked. Luke sighed.
"We go through this every time I come. No, you can't come with me. You have to stay
here." he replied.
"Why? I hate it here. I hate it!" she exclaimed.
"Hate is of the dark side, Desme. Besides, it's not that bad here."
"Name one good thing." she demanded. He couldn't. "See!"
"No, you still can't come. Sorry." he explained. She stood there, staring at him. In a huff
she turned and left.
Luke climbed into his ship and left.
================================================================
THREE WEEKS LATER........
Early in the morning, Han stumbled through the apartment he shared with Chewie and
Luke. Han and Chewie were taking a load to Powic and needed an early start.
"Ready, Chewie?" he called. Chewie growled in response.
Han opened the front door and nearly tripped.
Sitting outside the door was a sleeping teenage girl with dark hair, who just happened to
look like Leia....
"Who the blazes are you?" Han demanded of the girl sitting in front of him. "What the
heck are you doing here?"
"That's none of your bloody business!" she exclaimed. She pushed past him and entered
the apartment.
"Just wait a minute! Who asked you in here?" he yelled.
"I'm here to see Luke! I have a right to come in here, don't I?" she asked.
"As a matter of fact, no, you don't," he said, crossing the front room to Luke's door. He
banged on it. "LUKE! WAKE UP!"
"I'm already awake, thank you," came the response. He came out of his bedroom. "What
do you--" he began, then, seeing the girl, "What are you doing here?"
"I told you I didn't like it there!" she answered. "So, I came here."
"You can't stay. You can't!" Luke said, beginning to panic.
"Just why not?"
"Because, your parents will get really pissed and I don't need the Hapans pissed at me."
"Wait, wait, wait," Han said. "Let's back up a little, I'm lost. Who," he said, turning to
the girl, "Are you?"
"Han, I'd like you to meet, my, uh...well, my neice, Desme." said Luke.
"You mean Leia's daughter?" he said, after a moment. Luke nodded. "Oh gods. You
have to go back. Now."
"I will do nothing of the sort! You can't just turn me out, after I came so far!" Desme
exclaimed. She sat down on the makeshift couch in the front room. "Besides. The little
slime who calls himself my father won't care whether I'm there or not, and my mother will
be to busy to notice my absence."
"We can't just keep you here, either. You're a minor and I'm not your guardian. Your
parents have no idea where you are and when they find you here, you and I both know
they will NOT be happy. So, you can't stay." Luke explained.
"Please just let me stay a couple of days?" Desme begged. She put on her best 'pity-me'
face. Luke sighed. He glanced at Han, who shrugged, and Chewie, who grinned.
"Fine, whatever. Only a couple of days." he said, as Desme let out a cheer. "But only for
two days. You have to go back then."
"Thank you thank you thank you thank you THANK YOU!" She exclaimed joyously.
================================================================
Leia Organa, Queen Mother of Hapes, was busy.
Ambassadors, Republican Senators, and other dignitaries had bombarded her office over
the last few days. She was just settling down to work through the paperwork alone, when
Desme's handmaiden burst into her office uninvited.
"Madam, the most horrid thing has happened!" said Carmi, handmaiden.
"Not now, Carmi, I'm busy." Leia complained, turning back to her computer console.
"But Madam, you don't understand!" she exclaimed.
"Yes, I do, Carmi, and tell Desme that she can't, whatever it is." Leia responded. She was
getting annoyed.
"But Madam..."
"Please, Carmi, I'm busy!"
"Desme is MISSING!" The handmaiden shouted.
Leia turned, slowly. "What do you mean, missing? As in, Gone?"
Carmi nodded.
"You mean to tell me that the heir to the Hapan Empire has just DISAPPEARED?!?"
yelled Leia.
Carmi nodded again.
"How did this happen? She's your responsiblilty. With all the security in this dump, I'd
expect you to keep track of her! I can't BELIEVE that someone could get out of here
with her!" she raved.
"But Madam-" Carmi started.
"What? What do you want?" Leia demanded.
"Madam, it appears that she wasn't taken as much as she left on her own accord."
Leia stared. "You mean she ran away?"
"Yes, Madam."
"How!?!"
"Well, Madam, it appears that she left the planet on a spaceship in the middle of the
night."
"No, really." Leia said, her voice full of sarcasm.
"Yes, ma'am."
Leia stopped for a minute. Security on Hapes was some of the best in the galaxy. For
Desme to just leave required her to decieve at least 50 people in charge of the planetary
sheilds...
Leia marched into the office suite's recieving room and addressed the secretary droid
seated there. "Call Flight Control and have them send me a list of all the ships that left the
planet between dinner last night and now. Call Isoldor and tell him I need to speak with
him. NOW!"
"Yes ma'am." replied the droid.
================================================================
Desme sat on the makeshift couch in the apartment, watching the holovid. The only thing
on was trashy talk shows. Desme was fascinated.
On Hapes, the only holovid programmes allowed were educational, "to groom her for her
future obligations to Hapes," as her parents put it. It made Desme sick.
"Desme, how long are you going to be watching that junk?" said Luke.
"This is interesting!" she exclaimed.
"Sorry. Finding the father of an interspecies child born by parents who are to stoned to
remember doesn't interest me." he replied.
Han crossed the room from where he had been working on the apartment's computer
terminal. "Okay Chewie, I got somebody else to take the load to Powic, but we have to
go meet them at the port to transfer the load."
Chewie was watching the holovid with Desme. He grunted a response.
"What are you watching?" Han asked after a moment.
"Trashy people who spent half their lives wasted and are now complaining about it," said
Luke.
"Oh. High-class entertainment." Han replied. "Hello? Chewie? We have to go!"
Chewie growled a response, then rose and left with Han.
When the show ended, Desme switched off the holovid and turned to Luke. "So." she
said.
"So." Luke said.
"What do you do around here?" she asked.
"Well, normally I go to work." he said.
"Great. After that?"
"Lots of things. There are cantinas at the spaceport, or there are films, or there is the
theatre."
"That sounds wonderful!" Desme exclaimed. "Which one are we doing tonight?"
"Well, considering that I can't leave you here alone on your first day, I'm not going to
work. After that, since every police officer in the galaxy has been alerted that you're
missing, we can't go out. So watching the holovid is about as classy as it gets."
She pondered this for a minute. "Goodness. If I'd known we'd have THIS MUCH FUN,
I'd have STAYED HOME!" She said sarcastically.
"Regretting your decision? Wishing to return?" Luke said hopefully.
"NO!" Desme yelled.
Luke grinned.
================================================================
Leia stood in the bridge of the command ship with her aid Winter and Isoldor. After
running a list of ships leaving Hapes, they'd discovered the one piloted by Desme and her
droid had landed on the planet Kunitachi. The Hapan fleet, consisting of nearly 75
destroyers and over 1,000 fighter ships, was en route now.
"Winter, would you please tell Isoldor to stop his bloody tapping?" she asked.
"Winter, would you tell Leia to lighten up?"
"No, tell Isoldor to quit trying to irritate me!"
"If you wouldn't be so pissy all the time, you wouldn't be irritated!"
Winter sighed. Leia realized that Winter often grew tired of being the middleperson in all
their arguments, but personally Leia couldn't stand speaking with her husband. They
hadn't said a kind word to each other in over three years.
"You're the one who got us into this mess, anyway," Isoldor said.
"Me? How is this my fault? I have done my best to raise her given the circumstances.
I've given her the best tutors, the best wardrobe, the best diplomatic experience--"
"But you never pay any attention to her besides." he said.
"Oh, shutup. You're one to talk, anyways. You haven't hardly spoken to her since she
was two years old!" Leia shouted.
"That's because she was two when you started corrupting her! Ever since you started in
on her, she's been so... so... BORING!" Isoldor exclaimed.
"Would you please stop being so immature? Gods, Isoldor, you always act like a
teenager. I can't stand it, you're driving me crazy."
Isoldor mumbled something under his breath. "What?" Leia demanded.
"I said, I'd rather act like a teenager than an old hag like you!"
Leia sighed. She would be so glad when this mission was over and she could go back to
ignoring Isoldor. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a young lieutenant shifting
nervously on his feet. "Yes?" she asked him.
"Um, excuse me, Your highness, but they have need of Sir Isoldor downstairs in
Engineering..." said the lieutenant.
"Thank you!" Leia said, happy that she could be alone with Winter and her thoughts once
more. Isoldor glared at her, and left the bridge.
"Ya know, Winter, I'm going to be happy when this is over. I have so much work to do."
Leia said.
An alarm sounded. The crew began rushing around. "Madam," the captain said, "You
should probably strap in now. We've entered the atmosphere."
Leia smiled. Within the week she would be back home finishing her work.
================================================================
Desme was positivly sick of the holovid. She had been with her uncle and his friends for a
standard week. During that week, she had seen 35 talk shows, watched the same movie 5
times, played 500 games of Sabacc, and nearly lost her mind 9 times.
"Bored yet?" asked Luke hopefully.
"NO!" She exclaimed.
"Well, that's to bad. You're going home anyway." Luke said.
"What? So soon? Why?" Desme asked.
"Because your mother's insystem. She brought her fleet." Luke answered. "Sorry."
"You have to hide me!" Desme cried. "You can't let her find me!"
"No, I don't have to hide you, and I won't. You got yourself into this mess and if your
mother thinks I hid you, she's going to get real pissy!" Luke said, exasperated.
Han was seated at a table playing a board game with Chewie. He chuckled.
"What!?!" yelled Desme.
"Nothing. See ya later." he said, and rose to leave. Chewie growled something.
"'Because I don't want to be around here when Her Majesty shows up, that's why I'm
leaving." he said in response to Chewie's question.
"Wait! I'm coming too!" Luke said, and followed Han towards the door. Chewie
followed suit.
"What about me?" Desme asked.
"Lock the door on the way out." said Han.
Desme groaned. "Typical males. Always running away."
================================================================
Leia Organa was miserable. After setting one foot outside the ship, the humid air had
forced her back in. She had been cooped up inside for the better part of the day, with
Isoldor, while a team showed pictures of Desme around and asked for information.
"I don't understand why you couldn't have left also." she said to Isoldor.
"Because I'M in the MIDDLE of a GAME!" He said.
"Forgive me. The Chume'da should not be forced to shut off the holo in the middle of a
football game just to go rescue his daughter!" she yelled.
"I didn't see you rushing off to help." Isoldor said malevolently.
"That's because I just curled my hair. If I'm out any longer than I have to be, the humidity
will make it go flat. You know that!" she said.
"Sure. Whatever."
"Terd." Leia muttered under her breath. She glanced out the window. Her face paled.
Across the docking bay was a ship she'd hoped never to see again.
The Millennium Falcon.
Winter saw her face. "Madam, is something wrong?" No answer. "Madam?"
"Huh?" asked Leia, her eyes still on the Falcon.
"Is something bothering you, Madam?" Winter repeated.
"Uh... no. I'll be right back." she said, rushing off the ship.
================================================================
From where he worked in the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon, Chewie saw Leia coming
and howled to Han.
Seconds later, she was on board. Luke was working on some wiring in the passageway.
She saw him first.
"Luke! What the heck are you doing here?" She exclaimed.
He looked at her calmly, then replied: "One could ask the same of you."
"Where's Desme?"
"You mean you don't know yet? Really Leia, I'd have thought with all that security you
have you'd find her within two seconds of touchdown."
"Can the sarcasm. What have you done with her?" Leia yelled.
"Nothing. Honest."
"Then WHERE IS SHE?"
"She's at home. Probably watching the holo." Luke answered with that annoying
calmness that always surrounded him.
Leia glared at him. At that point, Han made the mistake of coming into the passageway
from the lounge. Leia spotted him.
"Han?"
"Leia?"
Leia was in a stupor. She never, ever expected to see Han Solo again in her entire life.
Yet here he was, staring at her, appearing just as shocked as she did.
He recovered first. "Um... what are you doing here?" he asked.
"Uhhhh...." she said, then suddenly remembered. "I'm looking for Desme. Have you seen
her?"
"Yeah. I...uh..." He trailed off.
"Well, if you'll excuse me from this love-fest.." Luke said, standing and leaving the ship.
Leia stood staring at Han for a moment before running after him.
"Wait!" she yelled. He didn't slow so she ran to catch up with him.
He turned. "What do you want?" he said.
"You still haven't told me where Desme is!" she said. "You know, and I don't, so
enlighten me!"
"Why should I? What good will come of it? You'll just get on your space ship and fly
back to Hapes and proceed to ignore her even more!" he yelled.
"What are you saying I should do? Leave her here so you can ruin all the training she's
had?"
"I'm saying you need to pay more attention to her! All you ever do is work. Gods, Leia,
are you sure you're not a droid? You work so much, I'm kinda confused."
"How dare you presume to tell me how to raise my daughter!" she yelled, enraged. "I'm
trying to run the Hapan Empire. It takes work! Empires don't run themselves!"
"Yeah, whatever." he said, and started to walk off.
"LUKE!" she yelled. He ignored her.
Frustrated, she returned to her flagship. Isoldor was still watching the hologame.
================================================================
Desme had been alone in the apartment for hours. She had yet to repack the few things
she'd brought with her, because she was refusing to accept her inevitable return to Hapes.
She hated Hapes. She hated being in the public spotlight, and on Hapes there were people
constantly watching her. Her mother's insane security guards had cameras all over, even
in some of the powder rooms. It was mad.
The door opened and Luke came in. "Back so soon?" Desme asked sweetly. "Honestly, I
would have thought you would have stayed away until you were absolutly positive I'd
left."
"Yeah, well..."
"What's wrong?" she asked.
"Nothing."
"Seriously."
"Nothing!"
She sighed. "Where's my mother? Is she here yet?"
"Yeah- wouldn't you know it? Parked right across from the Falcon."
"The Falcon? What's that?"
Luke stared at her incredulously. He gave a short laugh. "The Millennium Falcon- Han's
ship."
"Really? Is it fast?" she asked.
"Well... yeah..." he said, grinning.
"I'd like to see it."
"Now?"
"Why not?" she asked.
"But- you said- your mother-"
"I suppose I have to face her sometime. Might as well be sooner than later." Desme said.
They left the apartment headed for the port.
================================================================
Leia was standing outside her flagship, having given in to the humidity. She was enraged
at Luke, annoyed at Isoldor, and mad at herself more than anything.
She'd always thought when she saw Han again she'd be able to behave like a civilized
person, at least. She'd never expected to lose her composure like that. After all,
everything that was between Han and Leia was behind her.
Really.
She wished she could believe that.
Unable to resist, she took a glance over at the Falcon--
--in time to see two humans entering the ship. Luke and Desme.
Desme! Oh, was she going to get it when they got home! Leia rushed over to the Falcon
and climbed aboard.
As she entered the ship the ramp closed behind her. 'Odd', she thought. She walked
toward the cockpit. The old piece of crap looked as if Han hadn't done anything with it in
17 years. As she neared the cockpit, she heard voices. Desme asked, "What does this
do?"
"Don't touch that!" She heard Luke exclaim, as the ship began to power up. Seconds later
they were flying above Kunitachi City, headed towards hyperspace.
Han ran out from the rear cargo bay where he obviously had been working. "What the
hell is going on? What are you doing to my ship!?!"
Leia stumbled towards the cockpit as the ship lurched and sagged on. Desme was sitting
in the captain's chair, grinning and plotting a course for hyperspace while Luke worked
frantically in the co-pilot's chair to pull them out.
All too soon, the stars expanded into streaks showing that the Falcon was in hyperspace,
and Luke's efforts to reverse the ship were futile.
"What in the worlds do you think you're doing!?! Pull her out, Chewie! Luke!
Somebody!" Chewie growled, sounding angry, saying that Desme had sabotaged the ship,
making it impossible to come out of hyperspace anywhere but on the course she'd set.
Desme, still grinning, turned her chair around. "Hello Mother. So good to see you
again."
"Cut the crap, Desme. Where are we going?"
"Why, Mother, we're going to Hapes. Isn't that where you want us to go?" she replied
sweetly. Luke groaned, Chewie put his head in his hands and Han cursed.
"Come on. Turn round and go back." Leia said, almost pleading with her daughter.
"Hmmm... I'll have to consider it." She thought for a maximum of two seconds, then,
"No."
Luke turned and left the cockpit, muttering, "This is one trip I do NOT want to be on."
"I'm beginning to agree with you." Han said.
================================================================
They had been three days in hyperspace. Anger had resolved to frustration, and
frustration to boredom. Leia had spent the last three days in her little corner of the
Falcon's lounge. Han and Chewie remained perpetually in the cockpit, coming out only to
eat and sleep. Luke remained mostly on the other end of the lounge, and Desme just
seemed to float from place to place.
It was the most miserable trip Leia had ever been on in her life.
Suddenly, the ship lurched and rocked. Luke, who had been standing to leave the lounge,
was thrown to the floor, and Leia's chair tipped over.
"What the hell was that?" Leia exclaimed.
Luke threw her an annoyed glance. "How should I know?"
Just then, Han sauntered in. "Good news, guys."
They looked at him, and Leia raised an eyebrow.
He paused. "Chewie and I figured out a way to pull her out of hyperspace."
"Oh, joy." Luke said.
"Great. Where are we?" Leia asked.
"Wayland. We're almost out of fuel, so Chewie and I are going to set down." Han
replied.
"We might as well have kept going. We're almost there anyway." said Desme, who had
entered the lounge halfway through the conversation.
"Anyplace is better than Hapes." Luke said. He had been in a pissy mood ever since they
left Kunitachi.
Thirty standard minutes later, Chewie and Han set down, and they all made a rush for the
door.
================================================================
Desme was the first one out. The air was sweet-smelling and cool. She glanced over her
shoulder to make sure no one was following her. Her mother was headed for the nearest
cantina, and her uncle was going still another direction. Han Solo and his pet Wookie
were no where to be seen.
All the better, she reasoned. Desme made her way to the nearest com booth and spent a
few minutes leafing through the directory. She found the junk shop she wanted, only a
mere two kilometers. She only hoped they had the device she needed. The device was
one she'd read about in a newsgrid once. It was specially designed to hold a ship in
hyperspace, and could resist any overide efforts attempted. The only way to stop the
device from working was to rip it out entirely, which was dangerous as it would pull out
several sensitive wires.
On her way, she passed a bank. Desme panicked. What if she didn't have enough cash?
She ducked into an alley and opened her purse. She had five hundred credits with her.
She prayed it would be enough.
As she turned to leave, she heard a gruff voice behind her. "Stop right there." it said.
She turned. Two rough-looking humanoid males stood in the alley. One of them was
armed with a blaster.
"Give us all your creds and you won't be hurt." said the speaker.
"And if I don't?" Desme asked, trying to sound calm. The tremor in her voice betrayed
her. As soon as she spoke, she sensed two more beings behind her.
"Well, if you refused, which would be stupid, we'll just have to take it from you." said a
different voice from behind her.
Desme's mind raced. She offered her attackers a small grin, while mentally scanning the
alley. The terds were blocking both exits, but there was a ladder half-way up the building
to her left. If she used the Force to jump, maybe, just maybe, she could make it.
Half a second later she was in the air--
--And immediatly falling again. Desme had just enough time to wonder how he'd blasted
her so fast before she hit the ground and passed out.
================================================================
Leia sat in a dingy cafe just outside the bay where the Falcon was docked. She drank a
small cup of coffiene at a dirt-covered counter. When she finished the coffiene, she
pushed the cup back. She put her head in her hands, closed her eyes, and sighed.
She wondered how her life had become this crazy. She longed for the days of the
Rebellion, before she was married to such a ninny as Isoldor. Why had she made such a
mistake? Why had she not listened to her friends? Why had she allowed herself to be
swept away by power?
If Leia ever had a chance to do it again, she would have listened to Han. Married Han.
"Can I sit here?" said a familiar voice. Leia tensed, then sighed.
"Sure." she said. Han sat down on a stool beside her and ordered a drink. The wait droid
cleared Leia's cup and disappeared into the kitchens to fetch Han's drink.
They sat in silence for a while. Han offered the first words a few minutes later. "Ya
know... if it would help you out any, Chewie and I can drop you off on Hapes, if it would
help."
"Well, it's kind of out of your way. Desme and I can take a transport from here." As she
said this her mind reeled. Take a transport? Leia hadn't taken a public transport since...
since... she couldn't remember.
"No, we can take you."
"Han, I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself, and I can take a transport." Mentally she
kicked herself. She wanted to be around him. She wanted to go with him, not to Hapes,
but wherever he was going. She wanted to go away with him and never come back. Her
consience objected. It told her she was married, she had a duty to herself and Hapes, and
she could not let herself be cajoled by an old boyfriend she had supposedly forgotten.
After a moment, he said, "Well, will you at least walk me back to the Falcon?"
"Yeah, sure. I have to find Desme anyway."
"Thanks." he said. There was pain in his voice. 'Did I do that?' Leia wondered. Her
heart broke inside.
They walked for a while in awkward silence. Leia dug up the courage to speak. "Han,
when I... did I..." she stumbled to a stop.
"Did you what?"
"Did I hurt you? When I married Isoldor?" she asked. She already knew the answer.
He didn't respond, but stopped walking. Leia stopped beside him. He looked into her
eyes. With that look, she knew what she was about to do was right.
She reached up and kissed him. He stiffened but then put his arms around her and
returned the kiss.
================================================================
Chewie stood underneath the Falcon, watching as the port crew refueled the ship. He was
glad for the alone time, even though he wasn't really alone. He had been on long journeys
before, with more people than they were carrying now, but the tension aboard was
unbearable. It was wearing at his nerves.
Luke approached. He looked worried. Chewie grumbled a question at him.
"I can't find Desme. Have you seen her?" he asked.
Chewie answered a negative.
"She hasn't been back?"
Still a negative. Chewie asked where Luke thought she was.
"I don't know. It's bugging me. I need to talk to her. Are they almost done?" he asked,
motioning toward the crew.
Chewie answered yes.
"I'll go look for her. She couldn't have gotten far." Luke retreated into the busy port.
================================================================
An hour later, Han, Leia, and Chewie were inside the Falcon, ready to leave.
Except they couldn't find Luke or Desme.
"Chewie, have you seen them?" Han asked.
Chewie replied that he had seen Luke, and that Luke had gone looking for Desme.
"Surely he'll be back soon." Leia said to no one in particular.
"I hope so, we need to get going." Han agreed.
Sure enough, a few minutes later, Luke boarded the ship, sans Desme.
"Where is she?" Leia asked. She was beginning to get worried.
"I don't know, I can't find her. I looked all over the port, and about a kilo around. I can't
find her."
"You're kidding." Han said, coming up behind Leia.
"No, I'm not. I can't find her." Luke repeated.
"Oh gods." Leia said, turning white. "Did you call local police?"
"Yes, and port authority." Luke answered.
"I guess we just wait now." Han said, walking off.
Leia was trembling. If anything happened to Desme, she would curl up and die.
================================================================
The first thing Desme was aware of was the smell. Wherever she was, it reeked. Her
head pounded. Painfully, she opened her eyes. It was dark. She lay on the floor in a
dingy apartment. She had never been in a room so dirty. It made her skin crawl.
A lone lightbulb dangled from a cord attached to the ceiling. A filthy human male sat by
the door. He was so obese it made Desme nauseous. His tunic was too small, leaving his
rolling belly hanging out. He leered at her. The man had, maybe, two teeth in his head.
She groaned in disgust.
She sat up. He trained a blaster at her, and gave her another leer. Obviously he didn't
know who she was. If she was at home, nobody would DARE treat her this way.
Using the Force, she scanned the room and found an open window. The window didn't
even have a screen or bars to cover it. Outside was a metal fire escape with a staircase
going all the way to the ground. 'Surely they wouldn't be so stupid!' she thought. But
another mental scan told her that indeed, they neglected to guard her other than the...
person opposite her. Three men played cards in a room below, but otherwise, the building
was empty.
'Piece of cake.' she thought. She gave the man a smile, and gradually he fell asleep.
Maintaining her Force-control over him was difficult. Her training was sparse. But she
only needed to keep it up long enough to get a reasonable distance away.
She stood and quietly crawled out the window. She stopped short, amazed at the view.
A beautiful ocean sprawled across the east. The stars were bright and shining. She could
hear seagulls and the waves lapping against the shore...
'Snap out of it, Desme!' she thought. She strained her eyes for a view of the port... and
then recognised it due north. Bright lights shone from it, guiding in starships.
Desme quietly slipped down the stairs. When she reached the bottom, she released her
control on the man. He snoozed on.
She sighed in relief, and continued towards the port.
================================================================
Isoldor sat in his living room on Hapes. The four rooms were his and his alone. They
were the only place Isoldor felt he could get away from Leia's perpetual nagging and
arguing. He didn't know what he'd seen in the witch. After their marriage, and after
Desme's birth, Leia had become downright annoying. He couldn't stand her.
When Winter had informed him of Leia's departure, he wasted no time returning to Hapes.
She could find her own way home. Besides, maybe Han Solo would calm her down a
little before she got home. No matter, he still wouldn't pay any attention to her.
He didn't think Leia really enjoyed ruling anyway. All the more reason to get rid of her.
He sipped his wine and thought. Leia's rule was getting stale. Desme was too impulsive
to control the Hapan Empire. He could divorce Leia, marry his mistress, and then he
would be killing two birds with one stone...
"Oren!" he yelled. His manservant came running.
"Yes, sir?"
"Have Leia's advisors review the Hapan Constitution. I want to know the rules about
Divorce." Isoldor said. The manservant bowed and then left. Isoldor grinned. If it was
legal, he could have the divorce by the time Leia got home.
================================================================
Leia was frightened. She knew she'd never been the pinnacle of motherhood, but no
matter what Isoldor or anybody else said, she loved Desme. She just was too busy to
show it.
"You okay?" Leia jumped. She whirled around to find Han standing behind her.
"Yeah... I'm fine..." she said. "Actually, I'm so worried..." she trailed off. She began
sobbing. Han put her arms around her.
"Hey, it's okay. She'll be fine. She probably just wandered off somewhere. If she doesn't
find her own way back, the police will help her come back."
This was little consolation. "I... I just..." she couldn't finish.
After a few moments Leia heard voices in the corridor. "Where have you been?" Luke
was asking. Leia broke free from Han, and bolted out of the lounge.
Desme stood in the corridor. She was accompanied by a police officer. Her face was
pale, and her right eye was bruised and swollen.
"Nice shiner you have." Han said, coming up behind Leia in the corridor.
Leia stood for a moment, staring at her shivering daughter. Without thinking, she grabbed
Desme into a large embrace. Leia held her close. Tears of relief began to flow.
"Mother... Mother... MOM!" Desme yelled, shocked by Leia's gesture.
"What, honey?"
"I... can't...breathe..." Desme gasped. Leia released her and stepped back.
"Where have you been!?! We were so worried about you!"
Desme was silent.
"I found her wandering about the north end of town. She appeared lost. I recognised her
description from the missing persons' call y'all placed, so I brought her back here." the
officer said.
"You called the cops?" Desme exclaimed.
"Yes, we called the cops! You can't just wander off and not tell anybody where you're
going!" Luke answered.
"Well, if that's all, I'll be going now." said the police officer.
"Thank you very much." Leia said as he left. She led Desme to a seat in the lounge, and
Luke made Desme some coffiene.
"Whatever happened?" Leia asked.
"I'm not exactly sure." answered Desme. She sipped the coffiene. "I wanted to get
some... some lunch, yeah, so I went for a walk. I didn't think I had enough money, so I
stopped to count it, and these... grotesque males tried to rob me. I tried to get away, but
they stunned me or something. When I woke up it was dark. I climbed out the window
and tried to find my way back, and that police dude found me and brought me here."
Luke raised an eyebrow. "Lunch? This place is swarmed with cantinas. I watched you
leave the port. Why didn't you stay near the Falcon?"
Desme looked like a bantha caught in the headlights. "I... I don't know."
"What were you REALLY buying?" Luke asked.
"Lunch! I was hungry!"
He gave her a stare. Leia looked at her daughter. "Desme." she said, in one of those you-
better-tell-me-NOW kind of tones.
She gave an indignant sigh. "Fine. I was going to a junk dealer. I needed some parts."
"For what?" Leia asked.
"For the hyperdrive! So we can go home!"
"DESME!" Luke exclaimed. Leia began to laugh. Luke stared at her incredulously.
"What are you laughing at?" he asked.
"Her! She's so determined. It's funny!" she said, trying to control her laughter. "Anyway,
we'll be stopping there anyway."
"Make sure to let me know before so I can hide from the terd called Isoldor." Luke said.
Leia didn't respond, which was odd. Usually she made an attempt to defend her less-than-
pleasing husband, but something had changed over this trip.
"If you'll excuse me, I'm tired and would like to go to sleep." Desme said, leaving the
lounge.
================================================================
After everyone had fallen asleep, Leia rose from her bunk and made her way to the com
station. As Queen of Hapes she knew their constitution pretty well, and there was nothing
in it preventing her next action.
What's more, she would be able to resign as Queen Mother, and live the rest of her days
with her love, Han.
She waited as the number dialed. When Isoldor answered he looked relaxed. His face
stiffened when he saw her.
"Leia."
"Isoldor. I want to speak to you."
"Yeah... and..?"
She took a breath. "I want a divorce."
He grinned, something he had not done since their wedding. "I thought you'd never ask."
================================================================
Leia had not felt so relaxed since childhood.
She had no responsibilities, no worries (besides her fifteen-year old daughter), and
absolutly nothing to do.
Since resigning as Queen Mother Leia had been taking a long vacation with her daughter
and fiance Han Solo. (Her fiance. The thought made her giddy.) They were staying in a
cozy cabin high in the Manarai Mountains on Coruscant. Leia had borrowed the cabin
from her good friend Mon Mothma. A fresh snow covered the ground. Leia loved the
quiet during a heavy snow. The utter silence and the peaceful feeling was a wonderful
relief from the last seventeen years.
Right now the snow had stopped, and Desme and Han were having a snowball fight on the
lawn. Leia sat on the porch, enjoying a cup of hot chocolate.
"No you don't!" Desme yelled as Han pelted her with a large snowball. A few minutes
later it was her turn to laugh as she socked Han right in the face with a large snowball.
Leia grinned and once again became lost in her thoughts.
"Leia!" Han yelled a few minutes later.
"What?" She asked...
...SMACK! Desme errupted into a fit of laughter as her snowball hit Leia in the back of
the head.
"Oh, you're gonna get it now... Both of you!" She rushed into the cabin, pulled on a hat,
a coat, gloves and snowboots. Seconds later she was out in the battlefield having more fun
than she had in a long time.
================================================================
Six weeks later, she stood outside the rear doors of a large room, awaiting her turn to
walk down the aisle and become Leia Organa Solo.
The doors opened, and Leia took her first steps down the aisle, towards her new life.
They had opted for a small ceremony with only their closest friends present. Luke and
Desme sat on the first row, and Chewie stood next to Han as the best man. Lando sported
a shiny new cape and sat grinning on the second row.
She reached the front of the room where the officiator stood with Han. He began the
traditional ceremony.
The rest was somewhat of a blur. Leia remembered speaking her vows, remembered Han
putting the ring on her finger, but she was really too giddy to think of anything but the fact
she was finally marrying the man of her dreams.
"I now pronounce you man and wife..." said the officiator, almost drowned out by the
cheers erupting from the room... "and those that have been joined, let no man put
usunder."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Setting: roughly 17 years after the story "Han's Misery"
Author's Note: This story is merely a compilation of my previous series, Guess Who
Followed Me Home. (really?) It is exactly the same (with only a few minor changes to
preserve the continuity) only in one installment instead of the eight that made up the
series. If you've read the series, you're not missing anything by not reading this. Also, to
all the wonderful people who helped me out with information on Gaeriel Captison, I'm
eternally grateful, BUT (huge dramatic silence) I hate to say this, I am postponing my
Gaeriel story until I can come up with a plot. Plots are always useful, don't you think?
Many thanks to everybody who helped me out on that front. Thanks to my readers, and
now for those who wish I'd just shutup and get on with the story, here you are, the story.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
They sat in silence around the table in the Grand Hapan Dining Room. Luke's visits were
few and far between. He didn't like Hapes, and he didn't like Isoldor. The only reason he
came anymore was for Desme.
Desme was Leia's 15 year old daughter. She had Leia's hair and eyes. She also had a
sense of humour a mile wide.
Nobody had said anything since dinner began. Luke made it a point NEVER to speak to
Isoldor. He rarely spoke to Leia anymore, but she had her moments.
After dinner he made his way to his x-wing. As he was preparing to take off he heard a
voice calling his name. Desme was coming towards him.
"Hey, Desme. What's up?" he asked.
"Take me with you. Please?" she asked. Luke sighed.
"We go through this every time I come. No, you can't come with me. You have to stay
here." he replied.
"Why? I hate it here. I hate it!" she exclaimed.
"Hate is of the dark side, Desme. Besides, it's not that bad here."
"Name one good thing." she demanded. He couldn't. "See!"
"No, you still can't come. Sorry." he explained. She stood there, staring at him. In a huff
she turned and left.
Luke climbed into his ship and left.
================================================================
THREE WEEKS LATER........
Early in the morning, Han stumbled through the apartment he shared with Chewie and
Luke. Han and Chewie were taking a load to Powic and needed an early start.
"Ready, Chewie?" he called. Chewie growled in response.
Han opened the front door and nearly tripped.
Sitting outside the door was a sleeping teenage girl with dark hair, who just happened to
look like Leia....
"Who the blazes are you?" Han demanded of the girl sitting in front of him. "What the
heck are you doing here?"
"That's none of your bloody business!" she exclaimed. She pushed past him and entered
the apartment.
"Just wait a minute! Who asked you in here?" he yelled.
"I'm here to see Luke! I have a right to come in here, don't I?" she asked.
"As a matter of fact, no, you don't," he said, crossing the front room to Luke's door. He
banged on it. "LUKE! WAKE UP!"
"I'm already awake, thank you," came the response. He came out of his bedroom. "What
do you--" he began, then, seeing the girl, "What are you doing here?"
"I told you I didn't like it there!" she answered. "So, I came here."
"You can't stay. You can't!" Luke said, beginning to panic.
"Just why not?"
"Because, your parents will get really pissed and I don't need the Hapans pissed at me."
"Wait, wait, wait," Han said. "Let's back up a little, I'm lost. Who," he said, turning to
the girl, "Are you?"
"Han, I'd like you to meet, my, uh...well, my neice, Desme." said Luke.
"You mean Leia's daughter?" he said, after a moment. Luke nodded. "Oh gods. You
have to go back. Now."
"I will do nothing of the sort! You can't just turn me out, after I came so far!" Desme
exclaimed. She sat down on the makeshift couch in the front room. "Besides. The little
slime who calls himself my father won't care whether I'm there or not, and my mother will
be to busy to notice my absence."
"We can't just keep you here, either. You're a minor and I'm not your guardian. Your
parents have no idea where you are and when they find you here, you and I both know
they will NOT be happy. So, you can't stay." Luke explained.
"Please just let me stay a couple of days?" Desme begged. She put on her best 'pity-me'
face. Luke sighed. He glanced at Han, who shrugged, and Chewie, who grinned.
"Fine, whatever. Only a couple of days." he said, as Desme let out a cheer. "But only for
two days. You have to go back then."
"Thank you thank you thank you thank you THANK YOU!" She exclaimed joyously.
================================================================
Leia Organa, Queen Mother of Hapes, was busy.
Ambassadors, Republican Senators, and other dignitaries had bombarded her office over
the last few days. She was just settling down to work through the paperwork alone, when
Desme's handmaiden burst into her office uninvited.
"Madam, the most horrid thing has happened!" said Carmi, handmaiden.
"Not now, Carmi, I'm busy." Leia complained, turning back to her computer console.
"But Madam, you don't understand!" she exclaimed.
"Yes, I do, Carmi, and tell Desme that she can't, whatever it is." Leia responded. She was
getting annoyed.
"But Madam..."
"Please, Carmi, I'm busy!"
"Desme is MISSING!" The handmaiden shouted.
Leia turned, slowly. "What do you mean, missing? As in, Gone?"
Carmi nodded.
"You mean to tell me that the heir to the Hapan Empire has just DISAPPEARED?!?"
yelled Leia.
Carmi nodded again.
"How did this happen? She's your responsiblilty. With all the security in this dump, I'd
expect you to keep track of her! I can't BELIEVE that someone could get out of here
with her!" she raved.
"But Madam-" Carmi started.
"What? What do you want?" Leia demanded.
"Madam, it appears that she wasn't taken as much as she left on her own accord."
Leia stared. "You mean she ran away?"
"Yes, Madam."
"How!?!"
"Well, Madam, it appears that she left the planet on a spaceship in the middle of the
night."
"No, really." Leia said, her voice full of sarcasm.
"Yes, ma'am."
Leia stopped for a minute. Security on Hapes was some of the best in the galaxy. For
Desme to just leave required her to decieve at least 50 people in charge of the planetary
sheilds...
Leia marched into the office suite's recieving room and addressed the secretary droid
seated there. "Call Flight Control and have them send me a list of all the ships that left the
planet between dinner last night and now. Call Isoldor and tell him I need to speak with
him. NOW!"
"Yes ma'am." replied the droid.
================================================================
Desme sat on the makeshift couch in the apartment, watching the holovid. The only thing
on was trashy talk shows. Desme was fascinated.
On Hapes, the only holovid programmes allowed were educational, "to groom her for her
future obligations to Hapes," as her parents put it. It made Desme sick.
"Desme, how long are you going to be watching that junk?" said Luke.
"This is interesting!" she exclaimed.
"Sorry. Finding the father of an interspecies child born by parents who are to stoned to
remember doesn't interest me." he replied.
Han crossed the room from where he had been working on the apartment's computer
terminal. "Okay Chewie, I got somebody else to take the load to Powic, but we have to
go meet them at the port to transfer the load."
Chewie was watching the holovid with Desme. He grunted a response.
"What are you watching?" Han asked after a moment.
"Trashy people who spent half their lives wasted and are now complaining about it," said
Luke.
"Oh. High-class entertainment." Han replied. "Hello? Chewie? We have to go!"
Chewie growled a response, then rose and left with Han.
When the show ended, Desme switched off the holovid and turned to Luke. "So." she
said.
"So." Luke said.
"What do you do around here?" she asked.
"Well, normally I go to work." he said.
"Great. After that?"
"Lots of things. There are cantinas at the spaceport, or there are films, or there is the
theatre."
"That sounds wonderful!" Desme exclaimed. "Which one are we doing tonight?"
"Well, considering that I can't leave you here alone on your first day, I'm not going to
work. After that, since every police officer in the galaxy has been alerted that you're
missing, we can't go out. So watching the holovid is about as classy as it gets."
She pondered this for a minute. "Goodness. If I'd known we'd have THIS MUCH FUN,
I'd have STAYED HOME!" She said sarcastically.
"Regretting your decision? Wishing to return?" Luke said hopefully.
"NO!" Desme yelled.
Luke grinned.
================================================================
Leia stood in the bridge of the command ship with her aid Winter and Isoldor. After
running a list of ships leaving Hapes, they'd discovered the one piloted by Desme and her
droid had landed on the planet Kunitachi. The Hapan fleet, consisting of nearly 75
destroyers and over 1,000 fighter ships, was en route now.
"Winter, would you please tell Isoldor to stop his bloody tapping?" she asked.
"Winter, would you tell Leia to lighten up?"
"No, tell Isoldor to quit trying to irritate me!"
"If you wouldn't be so pissy all the time, you wouldn't be irritated!"
Winter sighed. Leia realized that Winter often grew tired of being the middleperson in all
their arguments, but personally Leia couldn't stand speaking with her husband. They
hadn't said a kind word to each other in over three years.
"You're the one who got us into this mess, anyway," Isoldor said.
"Me? How is this my fault? I have done my best to raise her given the circumstances.
I've given her the best tutors, the best wardrobe, the best diplomatic experience--"
"But you never pay any attention to her besides." he said.
"Oh, shutup. You're one to talk, anyways. You haven't hardly spoken to her since she
was two years old!" Leia shouted.
"That's because she was two when you started corrupting her! Ever since you started in
on her, she's been so... so... BORING!" Isoldor exclaimed.
"Would you please stop being so immature? Gods, Isoldor, you always act like a
teenager. I can't stand it, you're driving me crazy."
Isoldor mumbled something under his breath. "What?" Leia demanded.
"I said, I'd rather act like a teenager than an old hag like you!"
Leia sighed. She would be so glad when this mission was over and she could go back to
ignoring Isoldor. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a young lieutenant shifting
nervously on his feet. "Yes?" she asked him.
"Um, excuse me, Your highness, but they have need of Sir Isoldor downstairs in
Engineering..." said the lieutenant.
"Thank you!" Leia said, happy that she could be alone with Winter and her thoughts once
more. Isoldor glared at her, and left the bridge.
"Ya know, Winter, I'm going to be happy when this is over. I have so much work to do."
Leia said.
An alarm sounded. The crew began rushing around. "Madam," the captain said, "You
should probably strap in now. We've entered the atmosphere."
Leia smiled. Within the week she would be back home finishing her work.
================================================================
Desme was positivly sick of the holovid. She had been with her uncle and his friends for a
standard week. During that week, she had seen 35 talk shows, watched the same movie 5
times, played 500 games of Sabacc, and nearly lost her mind 9 times.
"Bored yet?" asked Luke hopefully.
"NO!" She exclaimed.
"Well, that's to bad. You're going home anyway." Luke said.
"What? So soon? Why?" Desme asked.
"Because your mother's insystem. She brought her fleet." Luke answered. "Sorry."
"You have to hide me!" Desme cried. "You can't let her find me!"
"No, I don't have to hide you, and I won't. You got yourself into this mess and if your
mother thinks I hid you, she's going to get real pissy!" Luke said, exasperated.
Han was seated at a table playing a board game with Chewie. He chuckled.
"What!?!" yelled Desme.
"Nothing. See ya later." he said, and rose to leave. Chewie growled something.
"'Because I don't want to be around here when Her Majesty shows up, that's why I'm
leaving." he said in response to Chewie's question.
"Wait! I'm coming too!" Luke said, and followed Han towards the door. Chewie
followed suit.
"What about me?" Desme asked.
"Lock the door on the way out." said Han.
Desme groaned. "Typical males. Always running away."
================================================================
Leia Organa was miserable. After setting one foot outside the ship, the humid air had
forced her back in. She had been cooped up inside for the better part of the day, with
Isoldor, while a team showed pictures of Desme around and asked for information.
"I don't understand why you couldn't have left also." she said to Isoldor.
"Because I'M in the MIDDLE of a GAME!" He said.
"Forgive me. The Chume'da should not be forced to shut off the holo in the middle of a
football game just to go rescue his daughter!" she yelled.
"I didn't see you rushing off to help." Isoldor said malevolently.
"That's because I just curled my hair. If I'm out any longer than I have to be, the humidity
will make it go flat. You know that!" she said.
"Sure. Whatever."
"Terd." Leia muttered under her breath. She glanced out the window. Her face paled.
Across the docking bay was a ship she'd hoped never to see again.
The Millennium Falcon.
Winter saw her face. "Madam, is something wrong?" No answer. "Madam?"
"Huh?" asked Leia, her eyes still on the Falcon.
"Is something bothering you, Madam?" Winter repeated.
"Uh... no. I'll be right back." she said, rushing off the ship.
================================================================
From where he worked in the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon, Chewie saw Leia coming
and howled to Han.
Seconds later, she was on board. Luke was working on some wiring in the passageway.
She saw him first.
"Luke! What the heck are you doing here?" She exclaimed.
He looked at her calmly, then replied: "One could ask the same of you."
"Where's Desme?"
"You mean you don't know yet? Really Leia, I'd have thought with all that security you
have you'd find her within two seconds of touchdown."
"Can the sarcasm. What have you done with her?" Leia yelled.
"Nothing. Honest."
"Then WHERE IS SHE?"
"She's at home. Probably watching the holo." Luke answered with that annoying
calmness that always surrounded him.
Leia glared at him. At that point, Han made the mistake of coming into the passageway
from the lounge. Leia spotted him.
"Han?"
"Leia?"
Leia was in a stupor. She never, ever expected to see Han Solo again in her entire life.
Yet here he was, staring at her, appearing just as shocked as she did.
He recovered first. "Um... what are you doing here?" he asked.
"Uhhhh...." she said, then suddenly remembered. "I'm looking for Desme. Have you seen
her?"
"Yeah. I...uh..." He trailed off.
"Well, if you'll excuse me from this love-fest.." Luke said, standing and leaving the ship.
Leia stood staring at Han for a moment before running after him.
"Wait!" she yelled. He didn't slow so she ran to catch up with him.
He turned. "What do you want?" he said.
"You still haven't told me where Desme is!" she said. "You know, and I don't, so
enlighten me!"
"Why should I? What good will come of it? You'll just get on your space ship and fly
back to Hapes and proceed to ignore her even more!" he yelled.
"What are you saying I should do? Leave her here so you can ruin all the training she's
had?"
"I'm saying you need to pay more attention to her! All you ever do is work. Gods, Leia,
are you sure you're not a droid? You work so much, I'm kinda confused."
"How dare you presume to tell me how to raise my daughter!" she yelled, enraged. "I'm
trying to run the Hapan Empire. It takes work! Empires don't run themselves!"
"Yeah, whatever." he said, and started to walk off.
"LUKE!" she yelled. He ignored her.
Frustrated, she returned to her flagship. Isoldor was still watching the hologame.
================================================================
Desme had been alone in the apartment for hours. She had yet to repack the few things
she'd brought with her, because she was refusing to accept her inevitable return to Hapes.
She hated Hapes. She hated being in the public spotlight, and on Hapes there were people
constantly watching her. Her mother's insane security guards had cameras all over, even
in some of the powder rooms. It was mad.
The door opened and Luke came in. "Back so soon?" Desme asked sweetly. "Honestly, I
would have thought you would have stayed away until you were absolutly positive I'd
left."
"Yeah, well..."
"What's wrong?" she asked.
"Nothing."
"Seriously."
"Nothing!"
She sighed. "Where's my mother? Is she here yet?"
"Yeah- wouldn't you know it? Parked right across from the Falcon."
"The Falcon? What's that?"
Luke stared at her incredulously. He gave a short laugh. "The Millennium Falcon- Han's
ship."
"Really? Is it fast?" she asked.
"Well... yeah..." he said, grinning.
"I'd like to see it."
"Now?"
"Why not?" she asked.
"But- you said- your mother-"
"I suppose I have to face her sometime. Might as well be sooner than later." Desme said.
They left the apartment headed for the port.
================================================================
Leia was standing outside her flagship, having given in to the humidity. She was enraged
at Luke, annoyed at Isoldor, and mad at herself more than anything.
She'd always thought when she saw Han again she'd be able to behave like a civilized
person, at least. She'd never expected to lose her composure like that. After all,
everything that was between Han and Leia was behind her.
Really.
She wished she could believe that.
Unable to resist, she took a glance over at the Falcon--
--in time to see two humans entering the ship. Luke and Desme.
Desme! Oh, was she going to get it when they got home! Leia rushed over to the Falcon
and climbed aboard.
As she entered the ship the ramp closed behind her. 'Odd', she thought. She walked
toward the cockpit. The old piece of crap looked as if Han hadn't done anything with it in
17 years. As she neared the cockpit, she heard voices. Desme asked, "What does this
do?"
"Don't touch that!" She heard Luke exclaim, as the ship began to power up. Seconds later
they were flying above Kunitachi City, headed towards hyperspace.
Han ran out from the rear cargo bay where he obviously had been working. "What the
hell is going on? What are you doing to my ship!?!"
Leia stumbled towards the cockpit as the ship lurched and sagged on. Desme was sitting
in the captain's chair, grinning and plotting a course for hyperspace while Luke worked
frantically in the co-pilot's chair to pull them out.
All too soon, the stars expanded into streaks showing that the Falcon was in hyperspace,
and Luke's efforts to reverse the ship were futile.
"What in the worlds do you think you're doing!?! Pull her out, Chewie! Luke!
Somebody!" Chewie growled, sounding angry, saying that Desme had sabotaged the ship,
making it impossible to come out of hyperspace anywhere but on the course she'd set.
Desme, still grinning, turned her chair around. "Hello Mother. So good to see you
again."
"Cut the crap, Desme. Where are we going?"
"Why, Mother, we're going to Hapes. Isn't that where you want us to go?" she replied
sweetly. Luke groaned, Chewie put his head in his hands and Han cursed.
"Come on. Turn round and go back." Leia said, almost pleading with her daughter.
"Hmmm... I'll have to consider it." She thought for a maximum of two seconds, then,
"No."
Luke turned and left the cockpit, muttering, "This is one trip I do NOT want to be on."
"I'm beginning to agree with you." Han said.
================================================================
They had been three days in hyperspace. Anger had resolved to frustration, and
frustration to boredom. Leia had spent the last three days in her little corner of the
Falcon's lounge. Han and Chewie remained perpetually in the cockpit, coming out only to
eat and sleep. Luke remained mostly on the other end of the lounge, and Desme just
seemed to float from place to place.
It was the most miserable trip Leia had ever been on in her life.
Suddenly, the ship lurched and rocked. Luke, who had been standing to leave the lounge,
was thrown to the floor, and Leia's chair tipped over.
"What the hell was that?" Leia exclaimed.
Luke threw her an annoyed glance. "How should I know?"
Just then, Han sauntered in. "Good news, guys."
They looked at him, and Leia raised an eyebrow.
He paused. "Chewie and I figured out a way to pull her out of hyperspace."
"Oh, joy." Luke said.
"Great. Where are we?" Leia asked.
"Wayland. We're almost out of fuel, so Chewie and I are going to set down." Han
replied.
"We might as well have kept going. We're almost there anyway." said Desme, who had
entered the lounge halfway through the conversation.
"Anyplace is better than Hapes." Luke said. He had been in a pissy mood ever since they
left Kunitachi.
Thirty standard minutes later, Chewie and Han set down, and they all made a rush for the
door.
================================================================
Desme was the first one out. The air was sweet-smelling and cool. She glanced over her
shoulder to make sure no one was following her. Her mother was headed for the nearest
cantina, and her uncle was going still another direction. Han Solo and his pet Wookie
were no where to be seen.
All the better, she reasoned. Desme made her way to the nearest com booth and spent a
few minutes leafing through the directory. She found the junk shop she wanted, only a
mere two kilometers. She only hoped they had the device she needed. The device was
one she'd read about in a newsgrid once. It was specially designed to hold a ship in
hyperspace, and could resist any overide efforts attempted. The only way to stop the
device from working was to rip it out entirely, which was dangerous as it would pull out
several sensitive wires.
On her way, she passed a bank. Desme panicked. What if she didn't have enough cash?
She ducked into an alley and opened her purse. She had five hundred credits with her.
She prayed it would be enough.
As she turned to leave, she heard a gruff voice behind her. "Stop right there." it said.
She turned. Two rough-looking humanoid males stood in the alley. One of them was
armed with a blaster.
"Give us all your creds and you won't be hurt." said the speaker.
"And if I don't?" Desme asked, trying to sound calm. The tremor in her voice betrayed
her. As soon as she spoke, she sensed two more beings behind her.
"Well, if you refused, which would be stupid, we'll just have to take it from you." said a
different voice from behind her.
Desme's mind raced. She offered her attackers a small grin, while mentally scanning the
alley. The terds were blocking both exits, but there was a ladder half-way up the building
to her left. If she used the Force to jump, maybe, just maybe, she could make it.
Half a second later she was in the air--
--And immediatly falling again. Desme had just enough time to wonder how he'd blasted
her so fast before she hit the ground and passed out.
================================================================
Leia sat in a dingy cafe just outside the bay where the Falcon was docked. She drank a
small cup of coffiene at a dirt-covered counter. When she finished the coffiene, she
pushed the cup back. She put her head in her hands, closed her eyes, and sighed.
She wondered how her life had become this crazy. She longed for the days of the
Rebellion, before she was married to such a ninny as Isoldor. Why had she made such a
mistake? Why had she not listened to her friends? Why had she allowed herself to be
swept away by power?
If Leia ever had a chance to do it again, she would have listened to Han. Married Han.
"Can I sit here?" said a familiar voice. Leia tensed, then sighed.
"Sure." she said. Han sat down on a stool beside her and ordered a drink. The wait droid
cleared Leia's cup and disappeared into the kitchens to fetch Han's drink.
They sat in silence for a while. Han offered the first words a few minutes later. "Ya
know... if it would help you out any, Chewie and I can drop you off on Hapes, if it would
help."
"Well, it's kind of out of your way. Desme and I can take a transport from here." As she
said this her mind reeled. Take a transport? Leia hadn't taken a public transport since...
since... she couldn't remember.
"No, we can take you."
"Han, I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself, and I can take a transport." Mentally she
kicked herself. She wanted to be around him. She wanted to go with him, not to Hapes,
but wherever he was going. She wanted to go away with him and never come back. Her
consience objected. It told her she was married, she had a duty to herself and Hapes, and
she could not let herself be cajoled by an old boyfriend she had supposedly forgotten.
After a moment, he said, "Well, will you at least walk me back to the Falcon?"
"Yeah, sure. I have to find Desme anyway."
"Thanks." he said. There was pain in his voice. 'Did I do that?' Leia wondered. Her
heart broke inside.
They walked for a while in awkward silence. Leia dug up the courage to speak. "Han,
when I... did I..." she stumbled to a stop.
"Did you what?"
"Did I hurt you? When I married Isoldor?" she asked. She already knew the answer.
He didn't respond, but stopped walking. Leia stopped beside him. He looked into her
eyes. With that look, she knew what she was about to do was right.
She reached up and kissed him. He stiffened but then put his arms around her and
returned the kiss.
================================================================
Chewie stood underneath the Falcon, watching as the port crew refueled the ship. He was
glad for the alone time, even though he wasn't really alone. He had been on long journeys
before, with more people than they were carrying now, but the tension aboard was
unbearable. It was wearing at his nerves.
Luke approached. He looked worried. Chewie grumbled a question at him.
"I can't find Desme. Have you seen her?" he asked.
Chewie answered a negative.
"She hasn't been back?"
Still a negative. Chewie asked where Luke thought she was.
"I don't know. It's bugging me. I need to talk to her. Are they almost done?" he asked,
motioning toward the crew.
Chewie answered yes.
"I'll go look for her. She couldn't have gotten far." Luke retreated into the busy port.
================================================================
An hour later, Han, Leia, and Chewie were inside the Falcon, ready to leave.
Except they couldn't find Luke or Desme.
"Chewie, have you seen them?" Han asked.
Chewie replied that he had seen Luke, and that Luke had gone looking for Desme.
"Surely he'll be back soon." Leia said to no one in particular.
"I hope so, we need to get going." Han agreed.
Sure enough, a few minutes later, Luke boarded the ship, sans Desme.
"Where is she?" Leia asked. She was beginning to get worried.
"I don't know, I can't find her. I looked all over the port, and about a kilo around. I can't
find her."
"You're kidding." Han said, coming up behind Leia.
"No, I'm not. I can't find her." Luke repeated.
"Oh gods." Leia said, turning white. "Did you call local police?"
"Yes, and port authority." Luke answered.
"I guess we just wait now." Han said, walking off.
Leia was trembling. If anything happened to Desme, she would curl up and die.
================================================================
The first thing Desme was aware of was the smell. Wherever she was, it reeked. Her
head pounded. Painfully, she opened her eyes. It was dark. She lay on the floor in a
dingy apartment. She had never been in a room so dirty. It made her skin crawl.
A lone lightbulb dangled from a cord attached to the ceiling. A filthy human male sat by
the door. He was so obese it made Desme nauseous. His tunic was too small, leaving his
rolling belly hanging out. He leered at her. The man had, maybe, two teeth in his head.
She groaned in disgust.
She sat up. He trained a blaster at her, and gave her another leer. Obviously he didn't
know who she was. If she was at home, nobody would DARE treat her this way.
Using the Force, she scanned the room and found an open window. The window didn't
even have a screen or bars to cover it. Outside was a metal fire escape with a staircase
going all the way to the ground. 'Surely they wouldn't be so stupid!' she thought. But
another mental scan told her that indeed, they neglected to guard her other than the...
person opposite her. Three men played cards in a room below, but otherwise, the building
was empty.
'Piece of cake.' she thought. She gave the man a smile, and gradually he fell asleep.
Maintaining her Force-control over him was difficult. Her training was sparse. But she
only needed to keep it up long enough to get a reasonable distance away.
She stood and quietly crawled out the window. She stopped short, amazed at the view.
A beautiful ocean sprawled across the east. The stars were bright and shining. She could
hear seagulls and the waves lapping against the shore...
'Snap out of it, Desme!' she thought. She strained her eyes for a view of the port... and
then recognised it due north. Bright lights shone from it, guiding in starships.
Desme quietly slipped down the stairs. When she reached the bottom, she released her
control on the man. He snoozed on.
She sighed in relief, and continued towards the port.
================================================================
Isoldor sat in his living room on Hapes. The four rooms were his and his alone. They
were the only place Isoldor felt he could get away from Leia's perpetual nagging and
arguing. He didn't know what he'd seen in the witch. After their marriage, and after
Desme's birth, Leia had become downright annoying. He couldn't stand her.
When Winter had informed him of Leia's departure, he wasted no time returning to Hapes.
She could find her own way home. Besides, maybe Han Solo would calm her down a
little before she got home. No matter, he still wouldn't pay any attention to her.
He didn't think Leia really enjoyed ruling anyway. All the more reason to get rid of her.
He sipped his wine and thought. Leia's rule was getting stale. Desme was too impulsive
to control the Hapan Empire. He could divorce Leia, marry his mistress, and then he
would be killing two birds with one stone...
"Oren!" he yelled. His manservant came running.
"Yes, sir?"
"Have Leia's advisors review the Hapan Constitution. I want to know the rules about
Divorce." Isoldor said. The manservant bowed and then left. Isoldor grinned. If it was
legal, he could have the divorce by the time Leia got home.
================================================================
Leia was frightened. She knew she'd never been the pinnacle of motherhood, but no
matter what Isoldor or anybody else said, she loved Desme. She just was too busy to
show it.
"You okay?" Leia jumped. She whirled around to find Han standing behind her.
"Yeah... I'm fine..." she said. "Actually, I'm so worried..." she trailed off. She began
sobbing. Han put her arms around her.
"Hey, it's okay. She'll be fine. She probably just wandered off somewhere. If she doesn't
find her own way back, the police will help her come back."
This was little consolation. "I... I just..." she couldn't finish.
After a few moments Leia heard voices in the corridor. "Where have you been?" Luke
was asking. Leia broke free from Han, and bolted out of the lounge.
Desme stood in the corridor. She was accompanied by a police officer. Her face was
pale, and her right eye was bruised and swollen.
"Nice shiner you have." Han said, coming up behind Leia in the corridor.
Leia stood for a moment, staring at her shivering daughter. Without thinking, she grabbed
Desme into a large embrace. Leia held her close. Tears of relief began to flow.
"Mother... Mother... MOM!" Desme yelled, shocked by Leia's gesture.
"What, honey?"
"I... can't...breathe..." Desme gasped. Leia released her and stepped back.
"Where have you been!?! We were so worried about you!"
Desme was silent.
"I found her wandering about the north end of town. She appeared lost. I recognised her
description from the missing persons' call y'all placed, so I brought her back here." the
officer said.
"You called the cops?" Desme exclaimed.
"Yes, we called the cops! You can't just wander off and not tell anybody where you're
going!" Luke answered.
"Well, if that's all, I'll be going now." said the police officer.
"Thank you very much." Leia said as he left. She led Desme to a seat in the lounge, and
Luke made Desme some coffiene.
"Whatever happened?" Leia asked.
"I'm not exactly sure." answered Desme. She sipped the coffiene. "I wanted to get
some... some lunch, yeah, so I went for a walk. I didn't think I had enough money, so I
stopped to count it, and these... grotesque males tried to rob me. I tried to get away, but
they stunned me or something. When I woke up it was dark. I climbed out the window
and tried to find my way back, and that police dude found me and brought me here."
Luke raised an eyebrow. "Lunch? This place is swarmed with cantinas. I watched you
leave the port. Why didn't you stay near the Falcon?"
Desme looked like a bantha caught in the headlights. "I... I don't know."
"What were you REALLY buying?" Luke asked.
"Lunch! I was hungry!"
He gave her a stare. Leia looked at her daughter. "Desme." she said, in one of those you-
better-tell-me-NOW kind of tones.
She gave an indignant sigh. "Fine. I was going to a junk dealer. I needed some parts."
"For what?" Leia asked.
"For the hyperdrive! So we can go home!"
"DESME!" Luke exclaimed. Leia began to laugh. Luke stared at her incredulously.
"What are you laughing at?" he asked.
"Her! She's so determined. It's funny!" she said, trying to control her laughter. "Anyway,
we'll be stopping there anyway."
"Make sure to let me know before so I can hide from the terd called Isoldor." Luke said.
Leia didn't respond, which was odd. Usually she made an attempt to defend her less-than-
pleasing husband, but something had changed over this trip.
"If you'll excuse me, I'm tired and would like to go to sleep." Desme said, leaving the
lounge.
================================================================
After everyone had fallen asleep, Leia rose from her bunk and made her way to the com
station. As Queen of Hapes she knew their constitution pretty well, and there was nothing
in it preventing her next action.
What's more, she would be able to resign as Queen Mother, and live the rest of her days
with her love, Han.
She waited as the number dialed. When Isoldor answered he looked relaxed. His face
stiffened when he saw her.
"Leia."
"Isoldor. I want to speak to you."
"Yeah... and..?"
She took a breath. "I want a divorce."
He grinned, something he had not done since their wedding. "I thought you'd never ask."
================================================================
Leia had not felt so relaxed since childhood.
She had no responsibilities, no worries (besides her fifteen-year old daughter), and
absolutly nothing to do.
Since resigning as Queen Mother Leia had been taking a long vacation with her daughter
and fiance Han Solo. (Her fiance. The thought made her giddy.) They were staying in a
cozy cabin high in the Manarai Mountains on Coruscant. Leia had borrowed the cabin
from her good friend Mon Mothma. A fresh snow covered the ground. Leia loved the
quiet during a heavy snow. The utter silence and the peaceful feeling was a wonderful
relief from the last seventeen years.
Right now the snow had stopped, and Desme and Han were having a snowball fight on the
lawn. Leia sat on the porch, enjoying a cup of hot chocolate.
"No you don't!" Desme yelled as Han pelted her with a large snowball. A few minutes
later it was her turn to laugh as she socked Han right in the face with a large snowball.
Leia grinned and once again became lost in her thoughts.
"Leia!" Han yelled a few minutes later.
"What?" She asked...
...SMACK! Desme errupted into a fit of laughter as her snowball hit Leia in the back of
the head.
"Oh, you're gonna get it now... Both of you!" She rushed into the cabin, pulled on a hat,
a coat, gloves and snowboots. Seconds later she was out in the battlefield having more fun
than she had in a long time.
================================================================
Six weeks later, she stood outside the rear doors of a large room, awaiting her turn to
walk down the aisle and become Leia Organa Solo.
The doors opened, and Leia took her first steps down the aisle, towards her new life.
They had opted for a small ceremony with only their closest friends present. Luke and
Desme sat on the first row, and Chewie stood next to Han as the best man. Lando sported
a shiny new cape and sat grinning on the second row.
She reached the front of the room where the officiator stood with Han. He began the
traditional ceremony.
The rest was somewhat of a blur. Leia remembered speaking her vows, remembered Han
putting the ring on her finger, but she was really too giddy to think of anything but the fact
she was finally marrying the man of her dreams.
"I now pronounce you man and wife..." said the officiator, almost drowned out by the
cheers erupting from the room... "and those that have been joined, let no man put
usunder."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~